The company isn’t disclosing any details on the revenue sharing agreement, and notes that the test will dictate whether or not they decide to roll this program out to a wider audience of developers. But the move has to give pause to the dozens of ad networks that specialize in selling ads on Facebook apps, both to brand advertisers and other developers looking to attract more users to their applications.
Some of these companies – like VideoEgg and RockYou - already have huge installed bases – but, if Facebook moves in on application ads, they already have a large and growing ad sales force, and can offer the additional scale of the rest of the site and all of its demographic data, in addition to the apps.
That said, Facebook looks to be treading cautiously here. The news comes amidst a host of other monetization announcements for developers – including a wiki where they can share links to other monetization options, including ad networks. Nonetheless, this is a development to keep an eye on if you work within the walls of Facebook.